Looks at the general issue of prescriptive and descriptive approaches to management research, and the tensions that exist between these two approaches. Considers these issues with particular reference to human resource accounting.

The second of two articles, looks at how a simulation methodology was used to explore the relationship between two prescriptive models of human resource accounting – the replacement cost model (RCM) and the stochastic rewards valuation model (SRVM). Investigates not only the operationalization...

The model described is a practical tool designed to improve managerial decision making about employees.